Transit Center names Bragdon executive director

Transit Center, Inc., Tuesday named David Bragdon executive director. Transit Center, Inc. was founded in the mid-1980s by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey as an incubator and provider of pre-tax commuter benefits.

Bragdon is a specialist in urban and regional planning, urban transportation, and sustainability issues. He served two four-year terms as the President of the Metro Council, the elected Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the region of Portland, Oregon, from 2003-2010, and more recently worked as Director of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability in New York City, where he managed the update of the city's sustainable growth and infrastructure strategy, PlaNYC.

"We are delighted to have David's well rounded expertise as well as his 'bi-coastal' experience at the helm of Transit Center," said Board Chair Rosemary Scanlon. "We look forward to leveraging David's talents to build on our past success with the commuter benefits program to become a national force on a range of transit-supportive issues."

"I am thrilled to join Transit Center at this pivotal time in its history," said Bragdon. "Increasing urbanization worldwide, the need for better transportation systems, and the limitations of traditional financing programs all call for creative new ideas in how we grow and maintain urban form that supports sound transportation and attracts more and more satisfied riders."